Team Stats

Shots

Ground Balls

Saves

Clears

Turnovers

Draw Controls

Free Position Shots

DANBURY, Conn. – Fourth-seeded Western Connecticut erupted for 11 second-half goals including eight-straight to erase the No. 5 seed University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's one-goal advantage and rise to a 17-9 victory in the Little East Conference opening round on Tuesday. The Corsairs close the season at 8-9 overall, while the Colonials advance to Thursday's semifinals.

How it Happened
Junior Leah Douty (Framingham, Mass.) paced the Corsair efforts across the field, leading her squad with three goals, three caused turnovers and five draw controls. Senior Catrina Longo (Billerica, Mass.) chipped in three points with a goal and two assists, and classmate Kathryn Gibb (Georgetown, Mass.) found the cage twice. In net, sophomore Kaitlyn Burchill (Bridgewater, Mass.) turned aside 15 shots.

Western Connecticut's Destinee Carey (New Milford, Mass.) and Brooke Baldelli (New Fairfield, Conn.) combined for 13 points on the game, including nine goals, and received four more scores from Olivia Kosilla (Ellington, Conn.).

The Corsairs were accurate early, catching the Colonials off guard for two man-down goals in the 25th minute for a 2-0 lead, but WCSU rattled off the next four to take control midway through the half. Down 5-3 with 7:47 remaining, UMass Dartmouth converted on back-to-back free-position attempts from juniors Kasey Hayes (Medway, Mass.) and Julia DiPillo (Medway, Mass.) to knot the score a five. Moments before half, Baldelli edged the Colonials back ahead for a 6-5 advantage at intermission.

Douty evened the score again with the first tally of the second half, and in the 24th minute senior Jess Miles (Lynnfield, Mass.) registered her first goal of the season on the give from Longo to deliver back a momentary Corsair lead.

The Colonials then found a groove for eight unanswered goals, breaking the game open with a seven-goal lead and eight minutes left. Douty gained two more back over the course of three minutes, but WCSU put on the damper with the final two markers.

Inside the Numbers

UMass Dartmouth closes the season with eight wins for the second-straight year, the most since totaling nine in 2008.

The Colonials earn their second win over UMass Dartmouth on the season, previously defeating the Corsairs 15-13 at Cressy Field on April 18.

With 15 saves, Burchill hits her highest save total since turning aside a career-high 19 against Curry on March 23. She closes her season with 12 double-digit save games.